By Alois Vinga
HARARE City Council’s (HCC) recently unveiled a handbook that places communities at the heart of decision making while equipping councillors with requisite knowledge on how to conduct themselves as citizens’ leaders.
The manuscript is expected to plug confusion normally associated with new councillors, who are often unaware of how to conduct themselves and where their roles begin and end.
The 45-page handbook comes timeously to guide the newly elected councillors, who were sworn into office after the 2023 elections.
Speaking to councillors on the occasion to acquaint them with the newly drafted handbook, HCC acting chamber secretary, Warren Chiwawa informed what necessitated development of the manuscript.
“This handbook is a consolidation of the Urban Councils Act, the proceedings of council’s By Laws and the international best practices. It is not meant to repeal the proceedings of Harare City Council By-Laws but to complement the existing legislation dealing with how proceedings of HCC are run,” he said.
Chiwawa said the handbook reminds City Fathers of the urgent need to represent both the electorate and the council effectively by being good communicators and keeping in touch with the local community or grass roots.
It stresses the need for the elected representatives to keep in touch with the electorate in a variety of ways, including attending meetings of local organisations, being available and responding to residents who wish to raise issues or concerns, attending events arranged by council and participating in functions held in the local area, among other expectations.
The handbook also flags inappropriate behaviour and complacency on duty which may derail progress for the local authority.
“Behaving in an offensive or disorderly manner in a council or committee meeting contrary to a Standing Orders or local law is considered to be a major breach as defined in section 319 of the Act.
“A council must deal with any disorder of its members. As elected members, councillors are expected to take responsibility for their own behaviour and that of colleagues,” the handbook reads in part.
Matters of good corporate governance, ethical conduct and procedures of the HCC meetings are well articulated in a manner which makes it easier for the elected councillors to easily adapt.